Just Keep Going
by WalkingPotterGirl14
Summary: Anna had peace for a year at the old college campus. No worries. Now, the group is back out on the road with new threats and new problems. And when old friends come back to haunt them, Anna thinks she had enough. Just how long can Anna keep her sanity yet keep her family safe? Sequel to 'Something to Live For' Daryl/OC.
1. Introduction

**HEY! So this is going to be my sequel for 'Something to Live For' and if you haven't read that story yet I HIGHLY suggest you read it before you read this, because if you don't, you will have giant plot holes going on and you will have no clue what the hell happened and who these people are. For those returning from reading my story, WELCOME BACK! You know what happened in the last story, so this takes place about a year later after everything that's happened. And let's just say some people have changed ENTIRLY.**

**And now I'm just gonna give a quick rundown of my main girl, Annabelle. Just a quick profile on her.**

**Name: **Annabelle Elizabeth Dixon

**Age: **33

**Gender:** Female

**Occupation: **Broadway Performer/College Teacher

**Blood Type:** O Positive

**Hair: **Dark Brown, Slightly Curly (any by slightly, I mean slightly)

**Eyes: **Chestnut/Dark Brown (around that color)

**Skin: **Tanish (her mother was Puerto Rican.)

**Height: **5'8

**Weight: **106

**Build: **Slender

**Family: **Daryl (husband), Aria (oldest daughter), Hunter (oldest son), Scarlett (daughter), Ethan (son), Joey (not bio brother but in that way that he's like a brother.)

**Weapons: **M1911 pistol (black), bow and arrows (like Katniss from the Hunger Games), tons of throwing knives, her fire powers.

**Personality:** sharp, keen senses, loving, determined, hardened by events, caring, trustful, rational, dependable, will do anything to protect someone she loves.

**Other Info: **Has know Daryl for over twenty years, obtained powers when sixteen while killing a demon, fire powers.

**Outfits She Wears: **Anna often wears shorts and jeans, her black lace up military boots, and a tank top of any color. During the winter, she wears a leather jacket, long sleeves, and always a fuzzy hat on her head to keep her warm.

**So this is just the introduction! But the first chapter will be up later tonight! I'm so excited! See you soon!**


	2. Still Surviving

**SEQUEL TIME BABY! SO EXCITED! So this might be posted a little later because I had to think how I was going to start it and I finally figured it out. And what I find funny is that while writing this gory zombie fic, I'm watching Tangled, and can't help but think how the two main characters kind of remind me of Beth and Daryl. XD But any way! We're here and I'm so happy that my other story was loved so much and reviewed and favorited and I hope this is just as loved! I'm gonna try to make this even better then the first one. Hopefully XD.**

**But here is the cast for my OC's in this story, and these are my picks. You don't have to picture them like this, but I do.**

Annabelle Dixon: Emma Watson (with long hair, not the pixie cut XD)

Aria Dixon: Chloe Moretz (with brown hair)

Scarlett Dixon: Abigail Breslin (when she was younger)

Hunter Dixon: Haley Joel Osment (like how he was in the sixth sense)

Ethan Dixon: Logan Moreau (with blue eyes)

Joey: Joey Graceffa (had to)

Layla: Vanessa Hudgens

Nathan: Chris Colfer (you'll see why :) )

Sammy: Dakota Fanning (when she was younger, around same age as Scarlett)

**There they are! Now, let's get on with the new part in our heroine's story, "Just Keep Going"**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

A soft cold breeze blew through the trees of the forest, sending pieces of a woman's hair flying behind her. Even if it was done up in a ponytail, high and tight, it still found a way to loosen itself from the tight hair band that encased it from flying all over her. Then again, Anna had never been that good at ponytails. She never got all her hair when she tried to do one. It was always in her face.

She looks around, perched up high in one of the trees, the chilly January air blowing around her, sending a few shivers down her spine every once and a while. Her bow was set behind her back, along with a quiver of arrows, ready to be shot when she saw something move in the distance.

It had been a year since her home she had been at for a year had been taken from her by the Governors men. All of them were dead. They had gotten out alive, but along the way, people had changed. People had been hardened. Anna being one of them. She rarely trusted anyone she came across now, even if they seemed harmless. She was paranoid after the attack. Not to mention something in her snapped as well.

When she used her powers on Jack, she felt all the control and stress in her snap. And now she didn't contain them as much as she used too. She realized that whatever sort of power she had in her was used to protect her. To keep them alive. To keep her family alive. And she felt alive when she used them. She felt like she was flying. Like she was unstoppable. But in reality, she really was. Who could stop a girl who could shoot fire from her hands?

Her mind races back to her group, who she thought of as family now. Everyone had been affected. Daryl was basically the same with her when it came to trusting people. It was rare anyone would join the group. Very rare. But both had managed to stay alive and keep their family safe. Not to mention still be intimate in a time like this. They usually went out in the forest for some alone time, making sure the group was far out in the distance.

Unlike some people, her children had gotten stronger from the attack. Aria had taken up some sort of a leader ship role within the kids. Most of them looked up to her as their person to go too if there wasn't a grown up around. After all she was the eldest out of all of them, now eighteen.

She smiles a sad smile. Her daughter would have been going to college now. She would have been going to NYU. She had everything planned. And now that was out the fucking window. They didn't even have a clue if the world would ever go back to what it once was. Anna knew it wouldn't.

The grownups seemed to have stayed their selves without anyone going off the hinges that much. Like back at the prison, there was sort of a council that people went to when they had problems. Joey, Maggie, Glenn, Anna, Daryl, and Rick would always gather around each other often and talk where they would go next. They never stayed in one place for too long. It was just not safe anymore. Not until they were far away from any other of the Governors people.

The kids were ok. Scarlett and Hunter seemed to be scared from the attack, but they never showed it. They would fight, stay safe, and listen to orders. During the night, they would play with the other kids while the adults watched. This seemed to be the way that the kids didn't sink into depression like Anna thought they would. AS long as they got to play and be kids, they would be ok. And she noticed that in her two children. Especially when they were around specific people.

The one person that Anna was always a bit worried about was Layla. After Drake had been bitten, she had been the one to shoot him in the head and end his life, preventing him from coming back as a walker. These two had been together since the beginning of this, had just gotten married, and now he was gone. Something snapped in her as well. It wasn't good like Anna's. It was bad. She always seemed on edge now, and a lot more aggressive and bitter then she had ever been. When Anna had met her back at the campus, she was full of life and happy. Now she was a stone cold zombie slayer. Which, in this case, was good. She just wished she wasn't so freaking mad all the time.

But in any case, the group had been surviving for the past year. And now they were still doing so. The kids were alive, no one had died, at least yet, and Anna was out hunting for food while the men were on a supply run. That seemed slightly ironic to her. Didn't men hunt more than women? She shakes her head at that and bites the inside of her cheek, hearing the sound of birds calling to each other from trees over.

She takes an arrow out quietly and places it on the string, waiting for the bird to come flying out. If she got this one, they would have enough meat for the night to qualify as a turkey during Thanksgiving. Maybe they could have a small feast. They hadn't had real meat in a while.

She pulls back the string of the bow, aiming it where she heard the movement. Then, the bird flies out quickly, probably out to look for something to eat, when Anna lets the arrow go, and watches it fly directly into the birds head, signaling the end of its life as it fell to the ground, dead.

She smiles small and jumps out of the tree, landing on her feet shakily, before straightening herself out and readjusting the jacket around her shoulders. She walks over and takes the arrow out of the birds skull and wipes the remains of it on her pants, staring at the dead animal. She had to admit, deep down, she felt pity for what she did, and a bit of remorse, but she couldn't feel that in this world. It was eat or be eaten. And she had to eat.

She takes the bird and tosses it into her bag where there were about eight others and two rabbits. She had been out for four hours and didn't see one deer. And that thought made her mad to no end. She always saw them. Maybe someone was stealing her game. But she didn't think about not getting one. She was just happy she DID get something for the group.

All of a sudden, she hears tiny feet patter on the ground and she loads an arrow quickly, turns around, and fires it. The arrow hit's it target, a bunny. She sighs and picks it up, taking the arrow out yet again from the dead animal and places it in her bag. Make that three rabbits. 'At least rabbit is better the squirrel' she though sourly. She leans against a tree and takes out a water bottle that she kept in a side pocket of her jeans, taking a quick sip, enjoying the cool taste that it sent down her throat.

She pulls back and closes the bottle, sighing as she does. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She feels something vibrate against her jeans and she picks it off of her belt, turning the knob and ready to talk into the walkie talkie. She had found these a month ago in a pack of four, and decided that whenever they went out a hunt they would give these to the people so they had a way of communicating. The only other person out with her right now was Layla. "What's up, Lay?" she asks, starting a steady walk back towards the building they were staying at for the time being.

"I'm heading back to the building now. Got ourselves some animals to skin." Anna nods, taking out a knife and sneaking up behind a walker that was in front. She stabs it in the head and it goes limp. Anna kicks it to the side and speaks into the small device.

"What'd ya get?" she asks, almost laughing at the southern accent that had taken over for a second. Layla heard as well and snickers slightly, and Anna smiles. Just hearing Layla snicker was a rarity now, and she was happy that she was the one that made her smile in this dark time.

"Bout four rabbits and three birds. You got more, right?" she asks knowingly. Anna chuckles.

"Yeah, I did. But don't worry, you're getting so much better at shooting that you'll be getting more shit then me soon enough." Anna had been teaching Layla how to use knives and how important they were. Lately, that and an axe had been her weapon of choice in this world. Layla snorts.

"In my dreams. I'll meet you back there. Out." The radio turns off and Anna sighs for the umpteenth time, placing it back in her belt. She starts her steady walk back and hums to herself. One of her favorite songs when it came out. Keep Holding On.

It described how Layla was feeling perfectly. She was going through such a tough time in her life, but as long as Anna was there and so was the group, she wouldn't be doing it alone. They would be holding out together. Maybe even find a cure someday, even though the possibility of it happening was about a one in a million chance. When pigs fly.

'Or the dead walk' she thinks inwardly, chuckling to herself. They were already walking. And Anna knew that there was no cure anywhere around her. She would just have to keep going and hoping, protecting her family along the way. Her stomach growls.

She was really fucking hungry.

* * *

When Anna arrived back at the building, she saw Layla and Maggie talking by the doors. The three girls had seemed to grow even closer as time went on. When they had to talk about something that was usually kept private, they would go to each other to talk about it. Layla looks up and grimly smiles at her while Maggie greets her with a grin. "Got lucky out there?" she asks. Anna nods and hands over the bag to Layla, letting her look in.

"Wow, you go a lot. Nice job, Anna," Maggie comments. Anna shrugs her shoulders.

"It ain't a deer, but it'll do for now. Plus, with the birds that Layla got, we'll have plenty of meat to eat tonight. But right now, I need something to eat for myself. My stomachs about to eat it inside out. Lay, I'm gonna grab something quick and then we can get-"

"I can skin it by myself if you want," she states softly. Layla raises an eyebrow at her, placing her hands on her hips.

"And why is that? I thought you said you needed my help?" Layla shrugs her shoulders in reply.

"You've been doing a lot for the group lately and I want to give you a break from it. Go hang out with the kids. Make sure Ethan's ok. Kiss Daryl. Just don't work." Anna's head swings up when she hears Daryl's name.

"He's back?" she asks. Layla nods.

"Just got back a few minutes before you did," Maggie said. "Was really dirty. Said he went through hell trying to get the shit on your list." Anna smiles, laughing to herself. "So he said he was saying he was back to the kids and then taking a shower in the bathrooms upstairs. You should take your chance," Maggie says, looking at Anna with a sly look. Anna smiles.

"I might…we have dirty minds," she laughs, with the two girls nodding their head, agreeing with her. "What about you and Glenn? Had any fun lately?" she teases Maggie, who blushes a deep red at her comment. She glares playfully at Anna.

"Just get up there," she laughs, pushing Anna towards the door. Anna chuckles and turns to Layla, a grateful look on her face.

"Thanks Layla. This means a lot," she says. Layla smiles shyly at her and nods her head. Taking that as a 'you're welcome', Anna walks into the building and up to the second floor where most of the group had been collecting for the past week.

The building was what seemed to be an old fire station, but it had everything that they needed for the moment. Including a working stove and hot showers on the top floor. Once the food ran out though, they would be moving on.

Anna climbs the stairs and is automatically tackled by Scarlett, who hugs her waist. "You're back!" she states gratefully, pulling away. Anna chuckles and leans down to her eye level.

"Yeah I am. I always keep my promises." Anna stares at the young girl. She was nine now, not the six year old she had been back at the prison. Her hair was longer, in desperate need of a haircut, and she was taller as well, grew at least a foot. She was turning out to be a very pretty little girl. I mean, her parents weren't that bad looking either. That just gave the daughter an upper hand. "Where's the rest of the family?" she asks.

"Hunters watching over Ethan right now. He's playing with Judith." Anna smiles. Ethan was now a year old and Judith was two. She had a feeling the two would grow up being very close. "Aria's with Carl on watch." Anna mentally rolls her eyes. 'Of course she is,' she thinks. Aria had been very close to Carl in the past year, and she knew something was going on between the two. But she didn't question it. Aria was eighteen. She was allowed to make her own decisions. "And Daddy's upstairs taking a shower." Anna smiles.

"Did Daddy bring back what I told him too?" she asks. Scarlett nods and runs over to the side, quickly picking up what he brought back and handing it carefully to her mother. She notices the small stuffed animal in Scarlett's arms. "And what's that?" she asks.

"It's Mr. Frost," she states. "Daddy brought it back to me from the trip. And he's really nice," she says, showing the toy doll to Anna. She chuckles and takes it from her. It looked like a Ken doll from Barbie, but it wasn't though. This doll had white hair and had on a totally different attire from what Ken would wear. He had on a blue hoodie and brown trousers. His feet were bare. 'He kind of looks like Jack Frost,' she thinks humorly, then slaps her head mentally. 'Duh, Mr. Frost,' she thinks.

"He's nice?" she asks. Scarlett nods.

"He played with Elsa and I before you came back." Anna's smiles falters for a second. Elsa was Scarlett's dead friend. She knew that by now. So if Jack was playing with Scarlett and Elsa, that means the doll had a connection to a spirit. 'Oh, my daughters powers,' she thinks, shaking her head.

"I'm sure he's great sweetie. Can you tell Aria and Hunter I'm back? I have to go upstairs for a moment." Scarlett nods and runs off to the others, while Anna begins her journey up the three stories. She'll never understand her daughters powers aside from her own. But she had come to accept them with open arms and try to understand them at least a little.

When she reaches the third floors, she sees Rick, Nathan, and Joey talking. All three of them notice her and smile. "You got back safe?" Joey asks, coming over to her. Anna nods, taking off her jacket and placing it on the table next to her.

"I'm fine. A few walkers. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"What about Layla?" Rick asks. Anna looks slyly at him for a moment before replying.

"She's ok as well. Caught a lot of game for only her third time out. Starting to get the hand of it." Anna had been noticing how Rick and Layla seemed to have gotten a bit closer. She knew they weren't together, because Layla wasn't ready for a new relationship just yet, but damn had they gotten closer. The only person aside from Anna who could make her smile was Rick. And that made Anna happy as well.

"What did you get?" Nathan asks.

"Lots of birds. Few rabbits. Just a lot of meat though. We'll be eating good, that's all that matters. How did the run go?" Nathan looks over at Joey annoyed, to where Rick chuckles and Joey blushes slightly.

"I almost got eaten," he replies casually. Anna's eyes widen.

"WHAT?" she yells, making Joey cringe and Rick laugh a little harder. "What the hell happened!?"

"Look a shelf fell on me and it attracted walkers, and-"

"I had to save his ass from being eaten," Nathan interrupts. "That shelf was heavy. I think I pulled something from lifting it up."

"That's because you have no muscles in those arms," Joey mumbles, but Nathan herd and he glares at him. Anna chuckles. Even if the two seemed they didn't get along as well, Anna could practically cut a knife through the sexual tension. She knew both were attracted to each other. She was just waiting for one of them to pounce on the other.

"Be nice, Joey," she scolds, turning back to Rick. "Daryl's in the showers, right?" she asks. He nods, another sly look sent her way. She narrows her eyes and shakes her head. "You all have dirty minds," she states, going to the stairs, hearing them laugh behind her.

I swear, they were all just a bunch of annoying brothers that constantly tortured her one her relationship with Daryl. But, then again, they were brothers. They were family to her. And she guessed that was what family did. Embarrass them to no end.

When she finally reaches the shower floor, she can hear the shower on and the water hitting the ground. She smiles when she sees part of Daryl's body, the water gliding down his bare back, and his hands in his hair, trying to get out the muck. He still really needed a haircut.

She silently takes off her clothes and throws them to the side. When all of them are off, she sneaks up into the stall that he was in and made sure that he didn't see her. Then, quickly, she wraps her arms around his waist. He goes stiff for a moment but relaxes when he hears her voice. "Hey there, sexy," she murmurs in his ear.

He turns around and smiles at her, placing his hands around her, one of them resting on the small of her back. "Ya got back ok?" he asks, using the exact words she had heard earlier. She smiles and leans up, pecking his lips, letting them linger for a moment before pulling back.

"Yeah, I'm ok. What about you?" she asks.

"Better, now that ya're here," he states, leaning down and capturing her lips with his. She smiles against his and kisses back, just as deeply as he was.

"That was so fucking cheesy," she says when she pulls back. "Then again, I'm into that, aren't I?" she chuckles. He smirks and leans down again, connecting their lips again. He pushes her up against the stall wall and her legs wrap around his body, their kisses getting more and more passionate by the second. His lips move down her neck, nipping in almost every spot he touched, making her moan in pleasure. At one point, he bites down at the point where her neck and her shoulder meet, and she lets out a gasp of surprise.

"_**Mine**_," he growls, coming back up and connecting his lips again to her. She chuckles softly, knowing there would be a nice and obvious mark there when she got out.

"_**Yours**_," she whispers back against his lips. And she always would be.

* * *

"Matt, for the last time, I said no!" Aria says, tired of dealing with the eighteen year old that was currently stalking her for the who the hell knows how many times. He comes up next to her with hungry eyes. "Matt, I'm not going to do it with you," she hisses, pushing him away.

"Come on, Aria. We're both eighteen, so it wouldn't be illegal. Plus, we're both pretty hot." They had found Matt a week ago, by himself and starving. So the group took him in and fed him. And they also found out that he was a very good part to the group, knowing almost any weapon, so they took him in officially. But ever since then, he had been sending her these weird looks and to be true, she did not like them. She didn't even like the ass hole in the first place. She snorts.

"I would rather have sex with a knife then have sex with you," she hisses back at him, going over to one of the balconies to keep watch. But his arm suddenly latched out and gripped her wrist in a tight grip. She struggles against it, trying to pull away. "Matt!" she snarls.

"Listen-"

"Hey, what's going on there?" she hears from behind her. She turns her head and sees Carl approaching them. She lets out a breath she didn't even know she knew she was holding and looks at him gratefully. Matt lets go of her arm when he sees him.

"Nothing, Grimes," he replies snoodily. Aria glares at him but backs up. Carl glares at Matt.

"That's not what I saw," he replies stepping up to Matt. Aria had to admit, the fourteen year old she knew known at the prison wasn't that anymore. He was seventeen, taller, filled out more, and not to mention had become pretty good looking. "But I'll let you go. Besides, Mika is looking for you," he says, smirking a bit. Mika was his stalker. Matt's eyes widen. He did NOT want to be anywhere around the girl.

"Shit," he mumbles, running off. Aria laughs as she sees him run up the stairs. She turns to Carl. "Can I just say you're my hero right now?" she says, going out and sitting in one of the chairs. He sits across from her in the other.

"What did her say to you?" he asks lowly. She sighs and leans her chin on her palm.

"Said, we should have sex, I rejected him, and he got mad. Probably was going to hit me if you didn't come." She sees anger flare up in his eyes.

"I'm gonna kill him," he snarls, getting up from his seat, but she reaches out and grabs his hand pulling him back down. He looks impatient at her. "Aria-"

"I think you've scared him off with the threat of Mika. But I will say if he does it again you can kill him." He grumbles and sits back in his seat, her hand still in his.

"Fucking hate that guy," he mumbles. She chuckles and moves her seat closer to him, squeezing his hand comfortably.

"I think every teen does. I know Lizzie is paranoid about her sister following him. I feel bad for her. But he's gone now, and trust me, I'm not ever going to consider that offer," she states, leaning back in her chair. She takes a quick glance at him and smiles. "Are you jealous?" she asks. His cheeks turn red and he looks at her.

"Pftt, no," he replies, but she knew he was. His words were shaky. She grins, but leans over and pecks his cheek, causing it to turn a darker shade of red. When she pulls back, she smiles at him.

"Don't worry. You're the only guy I like," she whispers to him. He grins and leans in, pecking her cheek as well. "You were jealous," she states again, and he groans, making her laugh.

"I was not!" he attempts. But she shakes her head and looks out to the distance. He wasn't convincing at all.

* * *

**FIRST CHAPTER DONE! So how do you like it? I wanted to add some story development and some relationship development as well. And I think I nailed what I wanted to do with Layla. I wouldn't be ready for a relationship either. But now Aria and Carl are together :) and everyone is still ok. Next chapter will probably come either tomorrow or Friday. But I'm happy I'm getting this up. Thanks for reading and REVIEW! Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Movin' On

**Two. More. Days. JUST TWO MORE DAYS! OMG I am FREAKING OUT! I am so excited for the show to come back! This morning on the bus, my friend and I were talking about who we think are going to die in the second half, and we both said Daryl was the least likely. But we both came down to the conclusions that it could be either Maggie or Glenn. I have a bad feeling about them. But don't worry. Nothing bad will happen to them in this story. At least not yet…**

**And sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was like dead, like a walker walking. I had no inspiration what so ever to write, so I waited until today. And I'm excited to be writing this chapter. **

**On with the story!**

* * *

Aria watched her two younger siblings play while she sat in the kitchen with Lizzie. Both were talking about their lives before the apocalypse happened and everything that they had done. They had to admit, over the past year, the two had become pretty close. Even though there was a three year age difference. Anna was eighteen now, and she was fifteen. But she acted so mature for her age.

But right now, they were talking about boys, specifically the ones in their lives before and the ones in their group. Typical girl talk. It would look normal if they weren't polishing their knives at the same time as talking.

"Wait, so Billy was like this, amazing singer?" she asks after Aria tells her about Billy. "I mean, he's been on Broadway and all that, but really?" Aria nods sadly.

"He was amazing. If he was still around his voice…God, I wish I could hear it just one more time. He had been my friend since elementary school and we were planning to go to college together at NYU." She smiles sadly.

"Guessing he's gone now?" she asks. Anna snorts.

"I saw the asshole get eaten by one of those things. That was my first walker that I killed, but I was too late. We were on a school fieldtrip and he went into the forest to go to the bathroom, and one of those assholes came out of nowhere and got him. Started tearing into his intestines and-uh, I just can't stand the image. Then I killed that fucker and I couldn't sleep for a straight week. My best friend was gone…and I seriously thought that I would be too," she mumbles, placing her knife down.

"I'm sorry about Billy," Lizzie replies softly. Aria shakes her head.

"Don't. It's in the past." Lizzie looks at her quizzically.

"Why didn't you think you wouldn't make it this far? It's been three years. I mean, both your parents are like the epitome of badasses. They totally complete each other, by the way." Aria chuckles.

"They do. But I guess I thought I just didn't have the strength to go on. I mean, I just so my best friend get eaten in front of my very eyes. The one I planned to spend probably the rest of my life with. Dead and gone. And I didn't, for that week I couldn't sleep. But slowly, the pain morphed into strength, and I somehow found the courage to be the person I am today. I wasn't going to let anyone else I loved die. They just simply couldn't. I wouldn't allow it," she ends, chuckling a little. Lizzie places her knife down.

"I remember when Mika and I had to say goodbye to our father," she states. "Seeing the giant bite on his shoulder…I tried to be strong but I broke down. Guess you can't be strong all the time like you can." Aria raises an eyebrow.

"Dude, it was your dad. Fuck being strong. Your allowed to cry when your dad passes away. A good example would be Beth," she says, gesturing over to the now 22 year old talking to Jason, another person from the group at the campus. "You remember how she rarely ever cried anymore?" Aria asks. Lizzie nods.

"Yeah. It was kind of weird," she states.

"She was strong. She still is. But when she saw Hershel get his neck slit, she cried, because she knew it was the end for him. Your allowed to cry for your family. Hell, if I lost any of mine I'd be a train wreck for at least a week. There would be snot everywhere and I would just not be in the right mind to do anything." Lizzie nods slowly.

"Ok," she ends, taking her knife again. She looks to Aria and smiles, and Aria smiles back, but the smile is soon replaced by a frown.

"What is up with your sister and Matt? She follows him like a lost puppy." She groans bitterly and bangs her head against the table, causing Aria to laugh harder then she had in a long time.

"I don't know!" she exclaims, coming back up to face a hysterical Aria. "She's like five year younger than him! Or six! Something like that, oh I don't know anymore!" Aria calms down enough to place a hand on her shoulder.

"You never know…my parents are five year apart, could be true love." Lizzie gives her a disgusted look, causing Aria to laugh at her disgustingness.

"No, just no…your parents are a whole different story! They knew each other for twenty year before they tied the knot! Mike and Matt? No!" she ends, shaking her head. Aria shrugs her shoulders.

"Hey, as long as that fucker is far away from me I could care less about who he dates. He asked me to have sex with him the other day," she mentions. Lizzie's eyes widen.

"No shit," she whispers so the grown ups wouldn't hear. Aria snickers bitterly and nods her head yes. "And what did you say?" Aria smiles sheeplishly.

"Something that sounded really stupid," she chuckles. "I said 'I'd rather have sex with a knife then had sex with you,'" she states, laughing slightly. Lizzie chuckles as well.

"Does Carl know?" she asks. Aria snorts, immediately nodding.

"He practically saved me from him. When I told him he started to freak out, but I calmed him down. I can handle Matt and all his creepy ways. I just hope Mike doesn't get caught up in them." Lizzie cringes, looking down at the table.

"Tell me about it," she mumbles, glancing back up at Aria. "So what exactly is going on between you and Carl?" she asks. Aria shrugs.

"We're together, simple as that. Been like that for a few months." Lizzie narrows her eyes.

"A few months?" she recalls. "Dude, you guys were intimate before a few months ago. I have seen you snuggle with him." Aria's cheeks redden and Lizzie snickers at her discomfort.

"Only a few times," she mutters. "But yeah, I'm with him. Hey, Tyreese is basically your guardian right now. How's he been doing?" Lizzie shrugs.

"Better. He was really mad at the Governors men when they destroyed the campus. You should have seen him killing them. I could practically feel the anger vibrating off of him. It was deathly. And you know what else I've been noticing? Rick and Layla." Arai chuckles.

"I'm sure you're not the only one noticing that. They've defiantly gotten closer over the past year, but I don't think either of them are ready for a relationship. But they would be sort of cute together. I'd like to see that happen." Lizzie thinks quickly.

"Wanna make that happen?" she asks slyly. Aria snickers and shakes her head. "Oh come on! It's plain as day they like each other! We can hook 'em up-"

"Lizzie, don't interfere with peoples love lives. I've learned painfully from that. And if you're so determined to hook these two up, why don't you go tell Tim what you feel about him?" she teases, causing Lizzie's cheeks to turn a bright red. They had found Tim out on a run a few months ago, and he was had been defenseless. Only a machete as his weapon out of anything. They had taken him in and given him fresh food so he could gain back strength. He was Lizzie's age. And as soon as he walked in and saw her, the two had an instant connection. But both seemed to afraid to tell each other that they liked them. Even though it was so obvious to everyone that they had crushes on each other.

"That's different!" Lizzie whispers fiercely, placing her knife in her holster and starting up the next one. Aria shakes her head.

"It really isn't. It's two people saying if they like each other or not. Why? Scared?" Aria teases again, causing Lizzie to turn an even darker shade of red.

"Yes," she mumbles. Aria smiles and places a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at her.

"Hey, you really should, because we don't know if we live tomorrow or not. So might as well get it over with before something bad happens." Lizzie nods and goes back to her knives, thinking quietly to herself. Should she tell him? Aria gets up. "I gotta go talk to Joey for a second. I'll talk to you later, ok? Seriously think about telling him though. Think on my words." Aria waves bye to the girl and Lizzie waves bye back, looking back down at her knife. She needed to make up her mind. And it had to be sooner rather than later.

* * *

"Hunter, I got something for you," his friend chuckles at him. Hunter rolls his eyes at him and walks out to the makeshift shooting range that they had. He needed to practice.

"Mind telling me while I practice, Jim?" he asks. Jim nods and smiles evilly, causing Hunter to stare at him confused for a second. "Why are you grinning' like you're about to murder me or something," he states, positioning his crossbow so he could practice on the bull's-eyes. Jim laughs.

"Nothing, just this one's a killer." Hunter shakes his head, and fires his first arrow, and it lands a quarter of an inch from the bulls-eye. "And I think you'll like it."

"Then get to it," he replies, loading up another arrow. Jim laughs and claps his hands while Hunter aims again and shoots. This time it his the middle spot on.

"Ok, a flight attendant was stationed at a departure gate at an airport to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he open his trench coat and flashed her. Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub." Hunter snorts and shakes his head, snickering slightly.

"Ok, that one was funny. Try another one," he says, turning to face him. Jim chuckles.

"Awesome, I'm getting somewhere." Hunter rolls his eyes and waits for him to continue. "A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, 'Do these turkeys get any bigger?' The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead." Hunter smiles and rolls his eyes, letting out a few laughs.

"Where are you getting this stuff from?" Jim shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm just making them up day by day." Hunter narrows his eyes.

"That's bull crap," Hunter yells. "You in a million year would NEVER think of that!" Jim tries to keep his cool demeanor but he burst out laughing, leaning on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Yeah, that's what I thought!" Hunter yells at him. Jim takes a deep breath and looks back up at him.

"Fine, I found a joke book in one of the offices and that's where I got it from." Hunter nods his head.

"There's the truth," Hunter replies, aiming for another bulls-eye. Jim starts to say something when suddenly a look of fear crosses his face. "What's wrong?" Hunter asks. Jim starts to walk away.

"I'll talk with you later," he quickly says, stalking off back inside the building, leaving a confused Hunter behind him. He looks around him and finally notices why Jim left in such a rush, chuckling to himself. His father was coming over to him.

"What's up with yer friend?" he asks, coming over to Hunter. Said boy chuckles and aims his crossbow at the target.

"Jim's scared of you for some reason," he states. "Maybe it's the fact that you scared the crap out of him when you brought him back." He shoots the arrow and it lands right in the middle. Daryl whistles.

"Getting better, kid," he states, patting him on the back. "And it's not like I meant to," he replies. Hunter rolls his eyes.

"He's still scared of you," he says, facing his dad. "Are we really leaving this place today? I mean, it's a pretty good place to stay. We could find food-"

"Hunter, ya know we can't stay in one place for too long," Daryl says sternly to the boy. Hunter sighs and nods, shrugging his shoulders.

"I just thought that maybe we could find someplace. It get's tiring, ya know?" Hunter says, walking over and sitting on a log. "I don't know how much more my legs can handle. Scarlett looks tired too. WE can't stay here for one more day?" Daryl chuckles and sits down next to him.

"I know it's hard, but ya gotta be strong for the younger ones. Especially to Ethan. He's the one really growin' up in this world, and he's gonna be lookin' up to ya. And ya better be that big brother that he wants ya to be." Hunter nods but then shakes his head.

"Can we at least stock up on water before we leave? My throat's always burning up along the journey's." Daryl nods and pats his sons back.

"It'll be fine, Hunter."

* * *

Anna smiles at the small child in her arms. Even though Ethan was now a year old, she would still cradle him in her arms and watch him fall asleep. He was so peaceful when he slept and Anna couldn't help but think how he looks like such an angel. She glances outside at the forest in the distance and sighs. They would be heading out today to find new shelter. They could never stay in one place for too long. No place was safe. Even if it seemed to be, it would eventually crumble. Just like the prison. Just like the campus. She wished she could find just one area that didn't look like it was about to fall apart.

She kisses Ethan's forehead and continues to cradle him. She heard the children's laughter downstairs and smiles to herself. Scarlett had been getting everyone to lighten up in their moods lately. And she was always trying to put a smile on someone's face. Something that Anna used to do when she was younger. She remembered one day when Daryl had come to her house in a sour mood she tried all that she could to cheer him up, and eventually she succeeded. God, it felt forever ago.

_Anna rocks her little baby in her arms. Aria was going to be turning one in a month. Not to mention it would be almost a year and a half since her incident. She still cringes at the thought of that. But at least Aria looked nothing like Jack. If she did she think she might have killed herself. She looked just like her, thank God. She was falling asleep in her arms, her brown eyes now fluttered closed and drifting off into dream land. _

_She places Aria in her crib and sighs. She was making up a nursery for Aria and she would actually have a room. She raised all the money by herself to build it. And she was God damn proud of it. Her little Aria._

_She hears a knock on her door and she gets up from the ground, making sure to be quiet enough so Aria could finally drift off into her dream world. She walks over to the door and opens it, only to be met with an angry looking Daryl storming into the room._

"_Ya will not believe-" he starts out loudly, but she slaps her hand over his mouth. He looks at her surprised and she points over to the crib. He looks over and sighs, nodding. He had to be quiet. She points to the second floor and nods her head up there. He nods and the two go up the stairs quietly so the baby could sleep in peace. _

_When they reach Anna's room, Daryl goes off, flopping down on her bed._

"_Fucking Jack," he growls. Anna chuckles and sits next to him._

"_What did the asshole say this time, D?" He scowls, causing her to snicker quietly. He was always so cute when he was mad. Especially when he was mad about something someone said about her. And she would always thank him every time._

"_Fucking started spreading shit, saying ya are some first class whore or something like tha' and I just wanted to kill the bastard right then and there." She raises an eyebrow._

"_Does that mean I'm gonna be getting a phone call from prison soon?" He chuckles slightly but goes back to his bitter behavior a second later. She frowns. 'I gotta get some sort of smile on his face,' she thinks._

"_No, but it does mean that he won't be talkin' for a while." She smirks._

"_Let me guess, swollen lip?" she guesses, knowing that the answer was yes. He nods and she sighs, laying down next to him on the bed. "And I'm guessing that it was you and Joey?" He nods again. "What happened with him?" she asks, knowing he got hurt._

"_Sprained wrist. Asshole held his arm behind him in a weird position." She leans up and looks at him._

"_Is he getting help for it?" she asks. _

"_He went to the nurses office, so don't ya worry your pretty little face off." She rolls her eyes at the joke but still blushes. He complimented her so often. She never thought she really deserved them, but he made sure that she did. _

"_What about you? I know he did something to you." He shrugs, but she notices the small cringe in his shoulders as he does so. _

"_Got in a few good hits, but I still ended up winnin' the math before Mr. Stikle broke up the fight before I killed him. A stupid decision, really." She smiles small but leans down to him._

"_Sit up." He looks at her confused._

"_Why?"_

"_I saw you cringe when you shrugged your shoulders. Sit up. Or else I'll make you," she warns. He rolls his eyes at her._

"_I'd like to see ya try," he mumbles, but sits up anyways, cringing while doing so. He curses lowly while Anna smirks. He glares at her. "Shut up," he growls. She chuckles._

"_Let me see the damage," she says, moving over to him and taking off the part of his shirt that had the bruises. It wasn't awkward. In fact, she had done this plenty of times now with him. He always got hurt, but she was always the one to help him clean them up. She was always there._

_She sighs when she sees the big black and blue bruise that littered his left shoulder, covering the whole part. The fact that he took this from Jack was something she admired, but if this hadn't been looked at, it would have turned into something painful. And she told him exactly that._

"_I would've handled it," he persist. She shakes her head._

"_You were cringing when you sat up. You probably wouldn't even be able to walk if I wasn't here," she says, walking over to the mini fridge in her room and pulling out an ice pack. "Why didn't you go to nurse? Too tough to go there?" she mocks, returning to him._

"_Got it," he replies. She scoffs and places the ice bag on his shoulder. He hisses in pain and flinches away for a second, causing her to smirk. He glares at her, then rolls his eyes and sits still. She smiles and places the ice pack on his shoulder a bit more gently and takes some tape to attach it to his body. "His freaking girlfriend is starting shit too," he growls. She shakes her head._

"_None of them are true, so I just don't listen." She finishes taping it up and finally notices the small cut on his face. She gently places her hand on the side of his face and touches it, making sure not to hurt him. "How did you get this?" she asks. _

"_Got in one last good punch," he replies. She sighs and looks at him, locking eyes. His deep blue eyes were filled with hatred and anger. She sighs and thinking quickly, kisses his cheek just above where the cut was. When she pulls back, she says redness grace where she kissed. He blushed at her. She smiles small. "I just want to say, even if what you did was sort of stupid on yourself, I appreciate it so much. Even if you're going to be in pain for probably the next month."_

_He snickers slightly at the comment and she looks again. His eyes had calmed down. She smiles. "Now, we have to work on that voice of yours. I really don't need you to wake up Aria. She's a pain when she wakes up." He shakes his head, causing her to laugh. _

She smiles at the memory and thinks back. That was the first time she thinks she ever actually kissed him. And she had a feeling he liked her even then. Especially because of the beating he took for her while standing up for the rumors.

"Sleeping?" she hears behind her. She turns around and smiles at Daryl who came up to her and took Ethan in his arms.

"Yep. Sound asleep." He smiles down at the young boy and holds him close to his chest.

"Yer brother is learnin' that crossbow like a pro. Sooner or later you'll be learnin' how to shoot one and he'll be teaching ya," he says to the small boy. She scoffs, a smile on her face, coming next to him.

"You or Hunter are not teaching him until he's at least eight." Daryl chuckles and rolls his eyes at her.

"I learned how when I was six," he replies. She chuckles.

"Well, he's learning when he's eight," she persists. "Can we at least teach him how to use a gun first?" she chuckles, taking him from his arms and placing Ethan in the carrier. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Guess we have too," he replies. She then burs tout laughing and he looks at her funny. "What're ya laughin' about?" he asks. She shakes her head.

"I can't believe we're having a conversation about what weapon we're gonna be teaching him first about. What has this world become?" she states, shaking her head and turning to the bag that she had packed. He comes up next to her and sighs.

"Cruel," he replies. "But we have to." She looks at him for a moment and nods, then leans up and pecks his lips quickly. When she pulls away he frowns. "That it?" he asks. She chuckles and takes her bag.

"We gotta go, that's why," she says, throwing her bag over her shoulders. That's when Joey and Layla come in through the door with their bags in their hands.

"Car's all packed up," Layla marks, looking to Joey.

"You ready to leave?" he asks. Anna nods and turns to Daryl, who nods as well.

"Kids all in the car?" she asks. Joey nods. She nods herself and grabs Ethan in his carrier. "Then let's get out of here."

* * *

"Scarlett, wanna play a game?" Billy asks her later on in the night when they had set up camp somewhere. Scarlett looks at him and shrugs.

"Ok."

"We have to say three things. Two things are true and one thing is false. The other person has to guess what it fake." Scarlett nods.

"I'm up for that." The two started a game and continued while the others talked and ate. These two had become rather observant of others, and they would usually talk about them. But tonight they just wanted to play by themselves.

And they were happy. The group was ok. Everyone was eating well and talking. Anna and Daryl were with Joey and the rest, talking about exactly where they were going next. Rumor had it they were heading out of state. But none seemed to care. As long as they survived they would be ok.

Everyone seemed to be living fine and having fun. Some people exchanging secrets over the fire pit that was blaring. Some just relaxing. Maggie and Glenn were whispering to each other, something Anna hadn't seen in a while. It had been so drab since the campus was taken, and now things were finally starting to get back on track.

But little did they know that there were two sets of eyes watching them from the trees above.

* * *

**CLIFFIE. Who are those people watching them? I will say they won't show up until later, but I will say that when they do it will be a big impact on the group. And I am loving writing all the kids scene's and seeing their life play out. I love it! Thanks for reading and REVIEW! They help me with the story! Hope you enjoyed! : )**


	4. Sundress

**I'm so happy this story has been doing so well! I'm glad people are liking it so far, but I want to say something real quick. Updates for this aren't gonna come as quick as the last one because I need to focus a bit more on school but I will be updating this almost every other day. I'll also be heading back into my other story as well, continuing that. I don't know how long that one is going to be, but I do know that this story will be around the same length as 'Something to Live For.' And I can't wait to continue it. I'm slowly thinking of chapters everyday, and in this one we'll see a little bit of relationship development as well as survival. At least I hope that's what I'm able to do.**

**Now, let's get on with the story!**

* * *

"Aria, get behind me," Anna whispers to her daughter as the small group travels through the abandoned store. Aria sighs but gets behind her mother, her knives at the ready to throw or stab just in case something decided to pop out and scare the living hell out of her. "Are you sure this place has what we need, Daryl?" Anna asks. Daryl nods.

"Exactly," he replies. Anna follows him and the two others who had come, Rick and Joey. The men were always in the front. They walked silently through the small shopping area, practically waiting for something to jump out. Aria was on her feet and ready to fight. This was her first run, and she was determined to prove to her mother she could do just as well as they could.

When they reach the stores they have to go to, Anna turns to Rick who had the lists for the supplies. "Who's getting what?" she asks, readjusting her bow on her back. Rick hands out the lists and she gets the one with the clothes on it. She glares at him. "Really, Rick?" she asks. He chuckles.

"You're able to find exactly what clothes we need. You're the best option. Joey and Aria, you head into the pharmacy and get the meds. Layla's getting a cold and we don't need her down on the count," he says, handing them the list of medicine. "Daryl and I are getting the food. We need to get back to the group as soon as possible, so don't muck around," Rick states.

Joey and Aria take off into the pharmacy and Anna begins to head to the clothing store to get the clothes quickly. When she walks into the store, she is immediately met with slimy hands to her shoulders and a mouth coming at her neck to bite her. She makes a disgusted face and kicks it off her with her foot, sending it flying, then quickly, before it could come at her, she throws one of her knives directly into its head, killing it instantly.

She brushes her hands off on her pants and glares down at the now dead decaying body. The walker was huge, so she had no clue how she was even able to kick it. It would have overpowered her easily. 'I guess I just don't know my own strength,' she thinks to herself, walking over to the woman's clothing section and to the plaid shirts.

Layla and the rest of the woman's clothes had been getting dirtier and dirtier almost every single day. They sincerely needed new clothes, and this was their savior. She looks on the list and sure enough, there was plenty of requests for new clothes from the women. Anna chuckles and starts to pick out random stuff in different sizes.

When she had practically cleared it out, she had gotten six new plaid shirts, five tank tops, jeans, shoes, a few hats, then more shirts…so many clothes piled on top of one another in the small duffel bag that she used. She almost forgot to look at the rest of the list to see what else she had to get. There weren't a lot of requests from the men for new clothes. They practically eat, slept, and breathed dirt. So Anna could understand why they didn't complain as much. But every once and a while they would ask.

The one thing she did notice was the distinct handwriting of Daryl. He had actually asked for something. He never asked for anything.

I mean, all he asked for was for a new shirt, but she had never seen his handwriting on anything. Never on any lists. It felt practically foreign to her. And she smiles at the fact that he actually had reached the breaking point of dirtyness and was asking for a new shirt.

She picks his out first, just getting him a simple plaid shirt. Knowing him, he would probably just rip the sleeves off when she gave it to him, like he always does. But she didn't mind. She loved seeing his arms. She never though when she was younger that a woman would get so turned on just by watching muscles flex in a guys arms, not even seeing what the man had to offer, but she had been wrong.

TOTALLY wrong.

She had had firsthand experience with that kind of stuff.

She looks at the rest of the list and starts to pick out the rest of the stuff that she needed to get. A few things for Joey, some for Nathan, a new shirt for Carl. She even managed to find some shirts that would fit Hunter and Ethan.

Hunter and Ethan. Oh, those two were a different story now. Ethan was growing up so fast, and he was starting to look a little like Daryl every day. And boy did she know it. And she could already tell that Hunter would be a great big brother to Ethan, like Scarlett and Aria would be a great siblings to him. He would have a good life, even if it was in this fucked up world.

She sighs and looks around the store for a moment, and then she gets slammed up against the shelves again, more grimy hands out to touch her. But this time she wasn't prepared. Her knife was in her belt.

She struggles against to grip of the walker as it tries to chomp down on her shoulder or anywhere just to get a bite of her pure skin. While struggling, she slips and falls down on the ground, the walker now on top of her. 'Fuck!' she thinks, trying to shake it off. It was still trying to get to her. She starts to panic, not wanting to die like this. Not wanting her life to end, but then takes a panicked breath and thinks quickly. 'Don't panic!'

Her hand reaches up to grab the walkers hair before it bit down on her, so close to her skin. She pulls its head back as it growls and gurgles in response, trying to get to her. But since she had finally gotten it away from her face, she kicks it off and rolls on top of it. Then, ripping her knife out of her holster, she stabs it in the head. Repeatedly.

She didn't know how many times she stabbed it, but she knew it was a lot. And she knew that it was long gone. But all she felt was rage and anger at herself for almost getting killed. By the time she was done, she knew her face was covered in blood, so she takes on of the shirts of the hangers and wipes it. When she removes it from her face, she was indeed right. There was a huge spot of blood there now. She looks at the shirt. It was small.

It looked like it would fit an infant.

But there was no way she was going to give this to her one year old son.

She tucks it in the back of her pocket. Even if she wouldn't give it to her son, she still would have a good use for it. Especially on those days where walkers are just everywhere. A nice wash cloth. She didn't think she had one of them anymore.

She sighs angrily and gets up, stomping over to were her duffel bag was and picks it up rapidly, almost walking out the door, but stops when her eyes skim over to the side and she sees a row of sundresses hanging on the rack.

She stares at them for a moment, thinking over what she was planning. "Fuck it," she says, walking over to them and touching them delicately with her fingers. She hadn't seen a sundress in forever. She would give anything just to lounge around in one and just do nothing.

She had been able to do that back at the campus.

She shakes her head at the bad memories bound to resurface in her mind and looks at all the colors. It was like a giant rainbow. Every single color was available. Just looking at one brought back good memories from the past. She remembered one summer where her and Daryl had gotten away from the city life and driven out to California for a week. Her daughter had been only two at the time, so she gave her to Lily to watch. She had needed a break.

"_Ugh, I can't believe we're doing this!" she groans happily, leaning back against Daryl's seat in his truck. "God I've needed this for such a long time. I just hope Lily will take care of Aria well. Oh I should have told her that-"_

"_Anna, the main point of this is for ya to just relax and take a breather from life. So just calm the fuck down and enjoy the ride. We've been drivin' for a straight day. We'll be getting there soon." She chuckles and places her feet up on the dashboard. He glares at her. "I just had this cleaned," he remarks. She snorts._

"_You sound like a girl," she chuckles. "And you're the one who told me to sit back and relax. Look what I'm doing, Dixon? Sitting back and relaxing." He rolls his eyes at her and continues to drive down the highway._

"_Yer impossible." She smirks at him._

"_And you're fun to mess with," she states. "Not to mention you look adorable when you squirm." He narrows his eyes but she could see the hint of redness on his cheeks. She snickers and looks out the window._

"_Anna," he warns. She shrugs her shoulders and looks back at him._

"_Just tellin' the truth, Dixon."_

* * *

_The two had indeed arrived in the golden state. Or at least that's what Anna thought it was called. And now the two were walking along Melrose Avenue, something that Daryl never thought he would find himself in ever._

"_I feel so out of place here," he mumbles into her ear. She snickers and grabs his hand, surprising him. She looks up._

"_Trust me, you'll be fine. Maybe we could get you some shades or something," she remarks, looking through one of the stores. He rolls his eyes and looks away, but still holds onto her hand. Any chance at actually touching her he would take. He felt so…secure around her. And no matter how cheesy it sounded, together, they were unstoppable. Only she was as badass as him. Not to mention sexy as hell when she was. But he would never admit that out loud._

"_Ya are such a girl," he states. She smiles at him. _

"_I know. And proud. But I will say that-Oh my God, look at that dress!" she exclaims, pulling him into a shop. He chuckles and lets her pull, knowing that it would happen eventually. She pulls him to a rack of sundresses all line up in a line, ready to be sold and bought by customers like Anna. She lets go of his hand to touch delicate fabric on the beautiful dress. It reached down to her thighs and was a brilliantly bright yellow. Like the sun. She had always loved the color yellow. "It's so pretty," she whispers._

_She walks around to see the price tag and cringes. "That's a little outside my budget," she chuckles. The dress was forty dollars! She only had enough on her for thirty. And she had to eat. She should have brought more money from the hotel with her._

"_What do ya mean it's out of your budget?" Daryl asks incredulously."You're loaded!" She rolls her eyes at him and simply looks back at the dress._

"_I don't forty dollars on me, Daryl. I should have brought more with me. I guess this dress wasn't meant for me," she sighs, letting it go. She turns to Daryl. "There's a stand outside. I'll get something quick to eat, k?" she asks. He nods and she goes outside to get the food, but what she didn't see was what Daryl did behind her back._

* * *

_Later on when the sun was going down, Anna and Daryl were sitting in the back of his pickup truck on a cliff. Like the ones who saw in cheesy romance movies. Except nothing about what they were doing screamed romance. In fact, it was the total opposite. They were one of the most vulgar pairs of people out there._

"_Oh, come on," Daryl insists. "Justin isn't that good lookin'." He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with scoffs._

"_Yes he is! He is just so screwable! I just can't!" she sighs dramatically and starts to fan her face with her hand, causing Daryl to role his eyes. "I mean, I would totally hit th-'_

"_OK, that's enough," Daryl says, looking back out towards where the sun was setting. Anna burst out laughing at his reaction. _

"_Sorry," she laughs, leaning against the side, her hand on her mouth to sooth the sounds. Daryl rolls his eyes again but stops when a look of realization comes across his face. He reaches into the back and grabs something from the front seat, then hands it to her. It was a package. _

_She raises an eyebrow at him and he chuckles, gesturing his hands to the packet. "Go on, open it." She smiles and rips open the packaging that was covering what was inside. When she sees what's inside, she laughs and an even bigger smile crosses her face. It was the dress. She looks up at him to see a grin on his face as well._

"_How the hell did you get this? Don't tell me you stole it!" she says sternly. He chuckles at her and shakes his head._

"_No, I didn't steal it," he chuckles. "I just got it for ya. So how much ya wanted it." She looks back down at the dress and back at him. She smiles and leans over, pecking his cheek, causing it to turn a dark red. When she pulls back, she grins._

"_Thank you."_

That was when she was seventeen. It had been such a long time ago. And here they were. Still alive and living in this screwed up world. She takes one of the dresses off the rack. A nice white one. Maybe that day would come where she could just relax and do nothing.

She steps out of the store, a small smile on her face. When she turns to head where Aria was, she saw the rest of the group heading out. The first person she saw was Daryl. And he noticed the smile on her face. "What's that about?" he asks curiously. She just shakes her head, walks up to him, and places a lingering kiss on his lips. When she pulls back, she smiles wider.

"Just something I remembered."

* * *

Layla laid in her tent in their campsite on her cot, coughing up a storm, into her sleeve. She hated being down. She like being up and helping people around her, not just sitting down and doing shit. She needed to get up. But she felt like her whole body was on fire. She prayed to God that the group would come back soon with her medicine.

She thinks back to the campus and how she had gotten sick once. She couldn't do anything properly for a week. Would that be the same now? Granted, back then she had had Drake to take care and nurture her back to health.

Drake. Her heart still pained against her chest when she thought of him. Every single gesture, every single movement was still in her head. And the fact that should could never do that again, that she would never feel his touch on her, made her hate everything. She would never see him again. Unless she died.

She had thought about that plenty of times. Of just ending it. It wasn't like life was worth living anymore. Look at the world around her. Life was not ok. Life was hell now.

She shakes her head and glances slowly at the tent flap, seeing it begin to open. Her hope starts to rise when she thinks she sees one of the men, but it was only Hunter walking in. She slumps back against her cot and looks to the ground. Hunter comes up to her with a plate in his hand.

"Hey, I just wanted to give you something to eat quickly because, well you know. You need to get energy and all that." She nods and takes the plate silently from him.

"Thanks," she mutters, taking in the roasted deer from the days prior. They still had leftovers from when Daryl and Anna had brought back a huge stag, and lets just say they ate well that night. She takes a small bite and turns to see him staring at her. "What?" she asks. He shrugs.

"You just seem really sad," he replies. She freezes and looks down.

"I'm fine, kid. Just head out and wait for your parents to get back." Hunter was silent but nods anyway, going over to the door. But before leaving, he turns back to Layla. "Kid-"

"If you're worried about them not getting the right medicine, don't. My parents…they're tough son of bitches, and they'll get what you need." His eyes suddenly widen. "Don't tell them I said that." Layla lets a small grin cross her face and she shakes her hands.

"I won't tell a soul." Hunter looks gratefully at her and leaves the tent, zipping it up behind him. Layla looks down at the food then back at the flap the boy had just left through. She chuckles and starts to eat. That boy was crazy. But he was being taught right.

* * *

Layla is woken by a shrug to the shoulders. Her eyes open slightly and she sees two figures hovering over her. One of them a man. She opens them more and sees Anna and Rick. Anna smiles at her. "Looks like Sleeping Beauty's awake," Rick states. Anna snorts.

"There ain't nothing beautiful about the way she sleeps. She snores like an elephant!" Anna chuckles, and a slightly mad Layla slaps her shoulders. But she had to admit her friend was right. She really did snore loudly. Rick just chuckled at the two.

"We have the stuff you need. Just take two of these every few hours and that cold should be gone in no time," Rick says, handing her the bottle of pills that were in his hand. She gratefully takes them and already pops two into her mouth. "Don't need you slacking," he jokes. She smiles for real for the first time in the past few days.

"Thanks guys. I really needed this." Both offer smiles at her but Anna sits down on the end of the cot, looking seriously at Layla.

"Mind if I talk to Layla along for a second, Rick?" she asks. Rick nods and gets up, heading for the flap.

"Get better soon, Layla," he says lastly, offering a final smile and leaving the tent. Anna looks to her frind and comes closer, but makes sure to mind her distance so she didn't end up getting sick as well. She couldn't really afford to do that at the moment.

"Are you ok, Layla?" she asks carefully. Layla looks at her dumbfounded for a split second.

"Shit, Sherlock, what do you think?" she grumbles, crossing her arms. "I'm sick. I feel like a dog on a super hot day in summer-"

"Not like that," Anna interrupts, placing her hand to stop Anna from continuing in her rant. "I mean emotionally. The past few days you've kind of been really depressed. I mean, I know it's been har,d but you actually seemed to start looking a bit better and now…" she trails off, looking at the ground. "I just want to know if you're feeling ok. Like no thoughts are running through your heads at the moment that you might regret later." Layla rolls her eyes and diverts them to the mattress.

"I've thought about that, but not this week. I have gotten better. Really, I have. It's just…that last time I was sick, Drake was there to take care of me and now he's gone and I guess the memories were trickling their way back into my head. Just thinking about him makes me sad, Anna. I miss him so much," she whispers, looking back up at Anna, her eyes watery. Anna scoots over, and ignoring all the signs her brain was telling her, she takes the girl in a comforting hug and pats her back, while Layla cried silently.

"In a way, I can kind of relate to you," Anna says. Layla snorts.

"You're husband is still alive. And probably won't die. He's too badass." Anna chuckles and rubs the girls hair, trying to act as a sign of comfort.

"Yes, he is. But I was with him before all this started. And he left for two year." Layla looks up.

"You broke up?" Anna smiles.

"No, we technically didn't. But I took me a while to forgive him. He went away to help his brother take care of his deadbeat father. Which was a stupid decision. He's even admitted It himself. But those two years, I felt a loneliness that made me want to just eat my heart out in chocolate and say fuck to the world. But I had a life. I had kids. And I didn't want our relationship to end. So I kept in contact, I missed him so much. And I'm so grateful that I've found him again and that…well, we're together and we have a real family now. But as the age old saying says, it's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all." Layla snorts again.

"That is so cheesy."

"But it's the truth. Sure, you loved him. And he loved you. Now, he's gone. But just be happy it happened and move on. Remember those memories and smile. He's in a better place right now, and he's watching down on you from above, enjoying you kicking some ass out of those fuckers on this earth." Layla smiles. "You'll never love a man as much as you loved Drake. But don't dwell on it forever." Layla nods and looks up at Anna with a grin.

"Am I really a badass?" Anna laughs and gets up, wiping her hands on her pants.

"The best, well, next to me," she says cockily, and then gets a pillow to the face, causing her to laugh and throw it back at Layla.

"Get out, Dixon," she chuckles. Anna smiles and elaves the tent, leaving the younger girl to her thoughts. She would be ok. And Drake would be watching her always. She looks to his jacket she ahd been wearing for the past year and takes it up in her arms, holding it close to her chest like it was a precious stuffed animal.

"I'll always remember you," she whispers, then continues to eat.

* * *

**A little heart to heart with Anna and Layla. I wanted to get in some Layla anguish there because she seemed to happy in the last chapter XD It's currently 2:43 in the morning and I am finally finishing this. WALKING DEAD IS BACK TODAY. HOLY SHIT. XD Thanks for reading and REVIEW! Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Valentine

**Hey! Finally updating this story since last week! It's been a while I know. And I know I got a few more followers on this as well, which made me happy. But this week I just wanted to focus on 'Killer' and get those chapters out, and also I was sick for a few days, so I didn't have the strength to write really long chapters like I do for this story. So I hp[e you'll forgive me for that XD But my life today had been really boring because it's Valentines Day and I'm single XD But my parents did get me the Walking Dead Season Two video game so I'm starting that as soon as I finish this chapter. I've waited two months to play this game and I am so fucking excited! But because it is Valentines Day I decided to include a little Valentines Day memory in this chapter. I'm gonna take this slow because I want this to be a bit good. So I hope you enjoy and as always…**

**On with the story!**

* * *

"Scarlett, you really have to learn to be quiet when you go out into the woods with me," Aria scolds her younger sister one day when they were in the forest. Scarlett glares at her sister and looks at the ground, kicking up some dirt from the ground.

"I like talking," she states. "It makes me feel like the world isn't all that dead as people say it is." Aria looks down at Scarlett and sighs, shaking her head.

"Scarlett, the world isn't dead. I'm still alive, aren't I? And so is mom and dad, and Hunter, and Ethan, and Billy and Joey, and Rick, and Carl, everyone else. We're all alive. There may be corpses walking around, but that doesn't stop us from being ok. But, when were out in the woods, finally helping mom with the food from the lake, we have to be quiet-or at least whisper-so the walkers won't get us. And if you appreciate staying alive, suggest you whisper instead of using your full voice." Scarlett looks up at her sister and nods.

"Ok," she whispers, looking ahead in front of her. Aria smiles. Her sister had always been good with following orders and listening to people. She would have been a good nurse. She could already see her sister cleaning up scrapes and cuts from little kids running around on the playground. Then again, there weren't any playgrounds around-at least walker free ones- to play on anymore. So she guessed that was out of the question of being a nurse.

"Good," she replies, patting her sister on the head and walking in front of her slightly. Her sister laughs at her and Aria looks back, a chuckle of her own.

"Guess what?" Scarlett whispers, coming up next to her. Aria rolls her eyes.

"What?" she mock asks.

"Ethan said his first word!" she says. Aria raises her eyebrows, surprised at this. She hadn't heard Ethan say anything other than gibberish and little tiny words, like 'mama' and even 'dada.' Sometimes she heard him try to say 'Ari,' but it usually came out as 'R.' She had gotten used to him calling her that.

"And what would his first word be?" she chuckles out. Scarlett smiles.

"Crossbow!" she says. Aria snorts, face planting her forehead with her hand.

"Oh God," she mumbles, chuckling to herself. "All the men in the family just can't stay away from that weapon," she states, finally seeing the small area come into view where they had set up some nets for fish to bring back.

"So you're calling yourself a man?" Scarlett asks. Aria rolls her eyes and looks to Scarlett, who was smirking at her sister. She never smirked!

"Are you smirking at me?" she asks amazed. "You're learning too much from dad. And just because I'm the only woman who fires a crossbow does not make me a man. Mama uses a bow and arrow. Do you think she's a man?" she asks, going over to the small river and leaning down to the nets to pull them up. Scarlett sits next to her and shrugs her shoulders.

"No. I'm proof. And so is Ethan." Aria gasps at her sister, who starts to laugh.

"Scarlett!" she yells, a small smile on her face. "How do you-"

"Billy told me," she chuckles. Aria looks back to the fish and shakes her head, mumbling something under her breath before actually speaking coherent words.

"I'm having a nice long chat with Billy later. Don't tell mom or dad that you know what that is. And I mean it. They'll think I told you." Scarlett nods.

"I won't. Let's just get the fish and get back to camp. Where did mom and dad go?" she asks. Aria grunts as she pulls the net up and smiles when she sees the at least twenty fish in the tangled up knots. She starts to pull more while answering Scarlett's question.

"They went out to a food store to get some more formula for Ethan and some more baby food for Judith. There's one right down the road. Scarlett, can you help me pull this up?" she asks to her younger sister, who nods and grabs the wet knots of the net, gently pulling it up alongside her sister.

"What month is it?" she asks. Aria shrugs.

"I think February. I know it's not January anymore, but it could be March for all we know." Scarlett shakes her head.

"It's too chilly for it-oh right, you can't feel the cold. When was the last time you used the powers?" she asks her. Aria sighs and finishes pulling up the fish, then slicing open the net and placing one by one into the bag that they had brought.

"A while ago. I haven't felt the need to use them. What about yours?" Scarlett nods.

"I haven't used them since the campus was taken to protect us. I mean, for protection uses. Other than that, I use them a lot. I like that I have some sort of connection with the earth. It makes me feel worth something. What about you and the ice? What do you feel?" Aria shifts on her knees. Her sister was only nine and she was talking like she was an age old philosopher. What has this world done to her? Then again, that made her pretty smart for her age.

"Um, I don't feel a special connection really. I just feel alive when the ice flows through me. It's a part of me now that had helped me out of some pretty sticky situations in the past. But like I said, I don't use them as much as I'm probably supposed to," she chuckles, putting one of last fish in her bag. "How's Elsa been lately? Has she been helping you? Seen anyone?" Aria asks, indicating to her dead friend. Scarlett nods.

"She's fine. She and Jack talk a lot. They have the same powers. You're not the only one who has those. At least not in forever. And I was also visited by a bald man last night in my dreams. It was really weird. He looks familiar, but I've never really seen him. But he did say something about daddy." Aria raises an eyebrow and turns to Scarlett.

"What did he say?"

"He said it was about time that his baby brother tied the knot with mommy. He was getting sick of waiting around to be an uncle. Was that his brother?" Aria's brow furrows as she looks down at the fish in her hand, placing it in the bag.

"Merle," she mumbles. To be true, she was kind of pissed off at him because he was the reason Daryl had to leave their home before all of this and why they were separated in the first place. But when in the right place at the right time, Merle could be a nice guy when he wanted to be. "Yeah, he was. He must have gotten killed during all of this." Scarlett nods.

"Oh," she mumbles. "Well, that wasn't all I've been told. Elsa told me something that kind of scared me on my dreams the other night." Aria looks back up.

"What?"

"She said that sooner or later everyone runs out of time. What does that mean, Aria?" she asks. Aria shakes for a second before shaking her head.

"Nothing bad, Scarlett. I think it was just a nightmare. Elsa wouldn't do that to scare you. At least I think she wouldn't. She doesn't seem like the person to just randomly scare someone by telling them something scary. Don't dwell on it." She places the last fish in her bag and she stands up, Scarlett following her in her actions. "We better get back to the camp. They might be looking for us now." Scarlett nods and begins to walk.

But then a tree rustles above them.

Aria points her crossbow at where she hears it, but finds nothing there. She places it down on her back and exchanges a confused look with Scarlett before shrugging her shoulders and setting off to go back to camp, but is stopped when she hears her sisters scream behind her.

She turns around and fires the crossbow into the walker that was bound to be holding hers sister in the forehead, but when her sister breaks free from the grasp and Aria gets a good look at it, it wasn't an it. It had been alive. Scarlett runs into her sisters arms.

"Ari," she whimpers, clinging onto her sisters forearm, looking worriedly at the dead man that had tried to grab her. Aria places a hand on Scarlett's shoulder and walks forward, examining the now dead body. From what she saw, this man had been trying to kill her sister. Had he been trying to eat her? She walks a bit further and takes the arrow out of it's head. 'Clear shot' she thinks proudly. 'Been getting a lot better.' She walks back to Scarlett and takes her in her arms, who looked about ready to faint.

"Come on. We need to get back. Those people won't get you, trust me. As long as I'm here, they won't get you." Scarlett nods shakily, placing her head in the crook of her neck, closing her eyes.

"He was so close, Ari," she whimpers. Aria nods.

"I know sweetie. I know. It'll be ok." Aria walks through the brush, making sure not to get Scarlett to hit any of the stick sticking out in different directions.

"You're becoming more and more like mommy and daddy every day," Scarlett comments. Aria chuckles.

"I'm guessing that's a good thing?" she asks. Scarlett laughs.

"Yeah it is. Meaning you'll be just as badass as them." Aria laughs, ignoring the fact that her sister cursed for a moment before replying.

"Don't say that word, Scarlett," she scolds. Scarlett pouts.

"Now you really sound like them," she mumbles. Aria laughs.

"You said I was becoming more like them right?" Scarlett rolls her eyes, causing Aria to chuckle a bit at the girls stubbornness and continue on the path back to camp, fish in hands, ready to fry. They needed to tell someone about this. She just prayed mom and dad would be back before they got back.

* * *

Anna snorts as she walks through one of the isles of the food store her and Daryl had gone too. You know how one of the isles in the food store always had a bunch of stuff, like tub containers and paper towels, and then on the other side they would have holiday shit and all that? Well, right now she was looking at exactly that. All Valentines Day shit. All from the holiday she absolutely hated,

She just thought the holiday was pointless as Groundhog Day was. It wasn't like if you saw a groundhog pop out of the ground it would automatically be spring. Science is called science for a reason people. This is what makes the seasons change. Not some stupid animal that pops out of the ground.

She walks around and looks at all the paper hearts that had now collected dust and the boxes of chocolates which were now for sure long gone. Her eyes travel to a bouquet of wilted roses that were just sitting there. One of them still had the slightest but of red in them. It was still alive.

She walks over and grabs it gently, pulling the stem out of the large vase it was in, untangling it from the other stems trying to find their way out into the sunlight. She picks it up and feels wetness on the bottom. The vase still had water in it, that's why it was still partially alive. After three years, it was still around. And it was still ok.

She picks at the petals and wonders back. It was February now, at least she thought. It was a bit colder outside. February had always been colder then January and December combined. She thought back to high school and one Valentines Day. It had been her senior year. She had just tried to off herself a few months before. Life had gotten easier at the school. But that hadn't stopped coupled from making out in front of her locker.

_Anna snorts as she arrives at her locker and see the couple in front of them making out like there was no tomorrow. Valentines Day. The one holiday that she hated more than anything in this world. Well, that and Jack. And he was still in the school. It was just another hallmark holiday that would give more money to the government. They were already in debt. What was the point?_

_She gently pushes the couple over to get to her locker and open it up, ignoring the sucking sounds of the two locking face, no matter how much she wanted to barf at it. She gets her lunch from her bag and then realizes something._

_The lunch room would be filled with people like them today. There was no way she was going to be in the same room with a bunch of lovesick couples. No way in hell. It would be like that for the rest of the day too. Every single class she had seen couples holding hands, whispering to each other, kissing, laughing, getting in trouble because they had been making out in the back of the classroom and other stuff had almost ensued in front of other people. She did not want to be around these people._

_Hell, it was only 5__th__ period. She could ditch._

_She grabs her bag and places the rest of her books in it, then closes her locker door, walking away just as the couple switched positions. She cringes and backs away slightly, getting as far away from them as she could know humanly possible. When she gets to the corner of the hallway and turns to walk out the door, she crashes into someone. Turning around to apologize, she rolls her eyes at the person. "I was gonna look for you," she states, backing up to looks at Daryl._

"_Where ya going?" he asks. "Ditching?" he teases, knowing that she had given him shit for doing that one day. But to his surprise, she nods and takes his hand, leading him out the door and to the back of the school._

"_Yes, and you're coming with me." He chuckles at her persistence._

"_And why might that be?" he asks, coming next to her, still holding her hand. She sighs angrily._

"_I can't stand all these mushy lovey dovey couples! They make me want to vomit!" she states, letting go of his hand and sending hers flying into the air._

"_Where do ya want to go?" he asks. She shrugs and climbs into the passenger seat of his truck, turning on the radio, and hearing 'Getting Jiggy with It' made her smile, as she looks at him._

"_I really couldn't give a fuck where we go. As long as we're far away from this hell hole. Wanna see a movie?" she asks, putting her feet up against the dashboard. He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders._

"_Sure."_

* * *

"_That was one of the most saddest movies I have ever seen in my life," Anna says later when they were sitting on a giant rock overlooking one of the areas in the park, eating some Wendy's they had gotten earlier. She bites into a French fry and swallows, wiping away the tears she had shed. "I have never cried so much at the end of a movie." He snorts._

"_It wasn't that sad," he states, taking a bite of his burger. She rolls her eyes._

"_That's because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon when it comes to movies. Unless there's a big explosion or a sex scene, you just don't care. And in this movie there were both!" He looks at her, smirking slightly._

"_There was but they didn't show it," he says._

"_There still was!" she fights back. "I mean, there love story! I just can't! I wish life could be like that," she sighs, looking out at the children playing. He raises an eyebrow._

"_Ya want to die on a sinking ship?" he asks. She snorts._

"_No! I mean true love. I rarely ever see that in anyone now. And I don't know If I'm just shitting myself when it comes to thinking if it's still around or not. I mean, I see couples kissing at school and all that, but do they really mean it? Like Jack and Rose. Both are so young, but they knew they loved each other. And they still stayed together until the very end. They tried to make it happen and knew that it would be nearly impossible, but they still-"_

"_Anna, ya think way too much," Daryl interrupts, causing her to chuckle. "But there's still some sort of true love in the world. Even though it's hard to find, it's there." She raises an eyebrow._

"_And how do you know? Are you some sort of love expert?" He snorts._

"_Never in my life will I ever be that," he replies. She shrugs her shoulders, laying down on the rock, placing her arm over her eyes to block out the bright sun. _

"_Never say never." She hears him chuckle. After a few moments, she feels something plop down into her body and she snaps up, knocking over one of the things there._

"_Jesus, calm down, Anna," he says, snickering slightly. She glances down at what was now in her lap and she smiles sweetly at them. There was a box of Reese's chocolates and on the other side was a small red rose. She looks up at him sweetly and he looks away embarrassed for a minute._

"_Why?" she asks, chuckling slightly. He shrugs his shoulders slightly._

"_Told me ya wanted a rose for once, so I got one for ya." She sees the redness on his cheeks and she chuckles, leaning over and pecking one of them. When she pulls back, she smiles at him._

"_Thanks Daryl," she states. "But it couldn't be more cheesier then Valentines Day to give it to me," she chuckles, eating one of the chocolates and throwing one to him. He laughs and places it in his mouth, then swallows and talks._

"_Ya know me by know. I'm all about the cheese with me." She snorts._

"_Speaking of cheese, you got some on your lip," she states, quickly, taking another bite of a chocolate and rolling her eyes at her messy friend._

She sighs happily at the memory. No matter how much she hated the holiday, that was one memory she loves thinking back to. And the fact that the rose was still red just made her happier.

"Anna? Ya in there?" she hears behind her. She spins around and notices Daryl with all the stuff they needed. She smiles sheepishly and places the rose down, chuckling to herself.

"I'm here, just remembering Valentines Day from senior year." He snorts.

"Took me to that shit movie," he replies. She glares at him and smacks his arm playfully.

"That was a good movie!" she yells at him. "I fell in love with it! Not to mention that's when I found out about Leonardo Dicaprio. Jesus, that man can act. He is snubbed so many times for the Oscar," she states, shaking her head.

"Ya care way too much about that movie," he states, moving next to her. She rolls her eyes.

"I just happen to like true love, thank you." He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her into him, causing her to chuckle and turn around to face him. He places his forehead against hers and smirks at her.

"What about us?" he asks. "And all that 'true love' stuff?" She thinks mockingly for a second before replying.

"It's getting there," she teases. He raises an eyebrow and she chuckles, placing her hands on his neck and connecting his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. When she pulls back, she smiles. "We are so far in there we are never coming out."

* * *

"Wait so you're saying that some guy tried to eat Scarlett?" Anna asks her daughter later that night when they had come back from the food store. Aria nods worriedly.

"He just jumped out from the trees and tried to take her," she whispers fiercely. "But I stopped him before her could."

"Did you kill him?" Anna whispers softly. Aria is silent for a second before nodding.

"Yeah," she replies. Anna places a hand on her shoulder and looks to Scarlett who was playing with Billy and Hunter. "I had to."

"Trust me, you did the right thing. If you weren't there, she would have been a goner. But right now you need to go eat and get some meat on your bones. All this stress will make you fall down one day. Trust me, that happened to me, and you people were victims of it." Aria chuckles. "I'll take care of it," she says. Aria nods and goes off to join Carl near the campfire.

Anna sighs and looks up into the trees that were blowing softly in the wind, sending its leave rustling. If there were actual human cannibals out there, she was prepared to keep her family safe. Anything to keep them ok she would do. And with that, she walks over to the campfire to join the rest and look after the little kids.

* * *

**Done! A little shorter, at least I think, but I wanted to stop it here because I didn't want to bullshit anything. So that is this chapter and my hand hurt and now I'm on my way to eat my heart out in chocolate and play Walking Dead. So excited! Thanks for reading and as always, REVIEW! They always help with the story and motivate me! Hope you enjoyed! **


	6. Taken

**What's up? I haven't been on this story in a long time because I've been busy with my other stories and of course watching the walking dead. And can I just say I am so pissed that someone took Beth from Daryl in this show. I mean COME ON. He just got a little ray of light of hope and now it's been taken away from him. I mean, just come on! It sucks! But because I've been thinking and writing and watching the show, I've gotten more ideas for this story and plan to write it more often. The updates might come a bit slower than they used to come because I want to take my time with it, but I'll try to update it as much as possible.**

**Now, onto other stuff. Thanks for the new followers and reviews for the story, and getting them makes me even happier. Feedback is always appreciated on my stories so I can make them sound as good as I can and be motivated to keep writing. **

**On with the story!**

* * *

_Anna's eyes droop down to her closed position for probably umpteenth time that day while she was in class. She just couldn't keep her eyes open during this professors long and boring speech. Joey was right next to her. He glances over and sees that she had her head in her chin, her eyes closed, practically asleep. He chuckles nudges her side._

"_Wake up, sunshine," he whispers to her. She groans, shaking her head._

"_This lesson is the most boring thing I have ever heard of in my life. I sincerely feel like I am going to die of boredom. I mean, we're seniors. We should get the amazing speeches and all that!" she whispers fiercely. He rolls her eyes._

"_I can't help it if you stayed up all night fucking Dixon." She gasps and smacks his shoulders, causing him to laugh a bit louder, attracting the attention of the professor. He looks at the two with uninterest. _

"_Are you two having fun over there?" he asks harshly. Joey simply smiles at him, knowing the professor hated it when he did that._

"_We're just listening to you talk, Mr. Weaselton," he replies. The professor glares at him, shakes his head and turns back to the board without another word. Joey makes a gun motion and points it at his head. "Jack off," he says lowly. "But seriously, have you done it with him yet or…?" _

"_Joey, I am not fucking Daryl! He's my friend! Nothing else!" Joey snorts._

"_Ok, so let's go through the years," he says. "In freshman year, he was with you throughout that experience that we will not talk about, practically helped you raise Aria when you didn't have a man or parents to help you, then practically rooted up his whole life to come and live with you in New York, looks after Aria while you're at school and at the theater…that boy is basically already your husband. All you need now are the rings." Anna rolls her eyes. Granted, she and Daryl defiantly had a mutual attraction, but after that kiss in the meadow…and what ensued after…neither had really made a huge move. They had kissed a few times afterwards, but neither called themselves boyfriend or girlfriend. Hell, she didn't know what they were._

"_Shut up," she whispers, shaking her head. Joey rolls his eyes again. _

"_That boy melts around you," he whispers to her. She raises an eyebrow._

"_What are you talking about?" she says back. He chuckles._

"_I mean he's a total softie around you. He's so rough and gruff around people all the time. Doesn't really smile that much or show that much emotion. But when he's around you, it's like he's a totally different person. It's like he's virtually replaced by someone else." She smiles._

"_What can I say? I have that effect on people." He snorts, looking down at his notes._

"_Stay awake, Williams." She rolls her eyes and looks at the professor for probably the first time since she stepped into the room. And what a good time to look at him. He was talking about study abroad. _

"_For this years program, it will be in Paris…" His voice trails off, Paris?! She had always wanted to go to Paris! Her dream had been to go to Paris. She didn't even hear all of the stuff the professor was rambling on about. The same word just kept repeating in her head._

_Paris. Paris. Paris._

_But then she thinks back to her apartment and Aria and Daryl. She couldn't go to Paris and leave them there alone for a while semester. It would be selfish and unkind. After everything Daryl has done for her he's the one who deserves the vacation. Not her._

_Getting up at the end of class, she waves goodbye to Joey who grabs a note on the way out about the study abroad. She looks at the pieces of paper uneasily and sighs. Throwing her bag over her shoulder, she starts to walk out of the class. But stopping in her tracks, she glances back and grabs one of the pamphlets and then walks out._

_She would just look at it. That was it._

* * *

_When she got back to the apartment, she chuckled when she found Daryl lying on the couch asleep, one of his arms strewn over his eyes, blocking out the mid day sunlight that was peering through the window. She wondered exactly where Aria was. Looking around, she noticed that her bedroom door was slightly opened. She drops her bag on the ground next to her and walks over._

_Walking over she takes a peek inside and notices that her daughter was nestled in the corner with her little easel and a canvas, a brush in her hand. She smiles when she sees that she was painting something on the white square. _

"_What are you painting, Ari?" Aria looks up and smiles at her mother._

"_I had a dream I was on a mountain and I was looking out into a giant field of flowers. Isn't it pretty mama?" she says. Anna nods, coming into the room and leaning down to take a look at the picture. For a seven year old drawing, it was pretty good. She was turning out to be one special child._

"_It's amazing, Ari. How long have you been working on it?" she asks. She shrugs._

"_A few hours," she replies. "Maybe more." Then how long had Daryl been out?_

"_How long has Daryl been asleep?" She giggles._

"_Since I started painting." It was now 5. School ended at 2 for Aria. Her had been asleep for three hours? Ok, it was time to wake his ass up._

"_Jeez, that's been a while. You keep painting. I'm gonna go talk to him." Aria nods, but in a moment, she grabs her mothers hand to pull her back down. "What sweetie?" she asks._

_Aria sighs. Should she tell her mother what the kids at school said? She shakes her head. That was for another day._

"_Never mind. Go wake up Daryl," she says suddenly. Anna raises an eyebrow but shrugs her shoulders, heading off to go back to the living room. She would find out sooner or later. That little girl could never keep secrets from her for long._

"_Ok, whatever you say," she chuckles, closing the door behind her. She goes down the hallway to go to the living room and then walks to the couch to wake him up, but finds that his body was now gone. He was awake and moving…and apparently so was her bag._

_She looks around the floor for where she dropped her bag on the ground but it was no where in sight. She couldn't see it anywhere. She looks to the kitchen and nearly jumps out of her skin when she sees Daryl there, leaning against the counter, staring at her. She places a hand against her heart and chuckles to herself._

"_Jesus, you scared the crap out of me," she snickers, looking at him. Then she sees that he was holding the blue pamphlet in his hand about Paris. He raises it slightly._

"_Ya thinkin' about going on this?" he asks, and she could tell there was a bit of anger-no, nervousness- in his voice. She quickly covers up._

"_I just took the paper to see what they had planned there. It's nothing really that interesting. I don't want to go," she says, even though deep down she really wanted to go. But she wouldn't do that to Daryl and Aria. They were her family. The only part of her old life she still had left. That and Joey and Lily. _

"_Don't play that shit with me," he says angrily, placing the paper down on the table. "It's written clear all over yer face ya want to go on this trip. I ain't gonna stop ya if ya do," he replies, crossing his arms. She rolls her eyes, walking up to him. _

"_Daryl, I'm not going to abandon you and Aria here. That would be just too cruel." But he continues to shake his head. _

"_I told ya I ain't-" Finally deciding to end his blabbering, she leans up and connects her lips to his. At first he was surprised. They hadn't kissed in who knows how long. But then his brain shut down and he replied with just as much enthusiasm. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer, her fingers getting tangled in his brown hair._

_When she pulls back, she smiles. "And I told you I'm not going anywhere. There's nothing you can say or do that will make me change my mind. You're my family, and so is Aria. I'm not leaving you guys." He nods slowly, still a bit unsure that this was happening. He could still feel her lips on his, and all he wanted to do was swoop down and kiss them again._

"_Ok," he replies, a bit hoarsely. She chuckles and let go, stepping back, grabbing the paper, and thwoing it into the trash._

"_Now, we have to get Aria to practice. Get your butt moving."_

* * *

Anna moves around when she wakes up in the morning, trying to open her eyes from the deep slumber she had experienced. The day before, she had spent all day trying to get Scarlett to calm down because she was so hyper. She didn't know what had happened to that little girl in the short time span they had been traveling, but she had eaten something, and it had put her on a sugar rush. Aria must have given her one too many cookies.

She tries to get up but realizes she can't because Daryl's arms are wrapped firmly around her midsection. She takes a moment just to look at him as he slept. So peaceful and looked so much younger then he actually was. Not to mention he looked so adorable while he slept. Sometimes she would notice that his eyes would move or his nose would twitch, indicating he was dreaming. She had known it for too long.

Looking down at her body, she blushes when she realizes she was completely naked underneath the blanket and sleeping bag they shared in their tent. Things had gotten a little heated the night before, but she wasn't complaining. Just fucking cold.

It was now March, at least that's what she thought, but she still needed to put on some damn clothes before she got herself sick. So that meant she needed to wake up Daryl right now. She sighs and moves her arm so she could touch his shoulder gently.

"Daryl?" she says quietly. "Daryl, baby, wake up." He groans in his sleep, adjusting his position a little. She chuckles a little and pushes his shoulder. "Wake up lover boy. We have to get moving. Remember, I gotta head out with Layla today to get some stuff." He turns to her and opens his eyes slightly to look at her. He smiles small at her.

"Now this is a sight to wake up to," he says softly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She chuckles at him, smiling.

"Well, you're up. But we have to get up as well," she says, trying to get up, but he pulls her back down against him, wrapping his arms more firmly around her. She sighs against him. "Daryl, we really need to go," she chuckles, even though she was content just laying on top of him all day.

"Nah, I like this better," he replies, capturing her lips with his. She smiles against his lips and kisses back, wrapping her arms around his neck. This was something she liked. She could live forever off of him and his kisses. It was heaven.

Just when things were about to get heated, and his hands were beginning to trial down, the sound of Layla's voice outside stops them in their tracks.

"Come on, honeymooners. I got to get going," she yells. Daryl groans in frustration, laying against the makeshift pillow they had. She laughs.

"Should have just waited until later," she chuckles, leaning in and pecking his lips one more time before getting up and getting changed into some clothes. Her and Layla had a raid to go to.

* * *

Layla and Anna walked through the forest to get to the house they had seen the day before. They had planned on raiding it the day before, but it had been too dark then. Now, it was nice and bright. Layla had a peculiar look on her face. Anna raises an eyebrow at her.

"What the hell is so funny?" she chuckles at Layla. She just smiles, shaking her head.

"You and Daryl," she simply states. Anna rolls her eyes. "You guys really are in love. I can tell," she says a bit sadly. Anna places a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up.

"Hey, I'm sure wherever Drake is right now he's watching you kick ass. And trust me, someone will come alone. If no one does, I love you girl," she says. Layla rolls her eyes. Continuing to walk.

"Oh, Anna," she chuckles. "Just, please make sure not to have another kid. We really don't have the resources right now," she says. Anna smiles.

"Trust me, I don't plan on having another kid. I have four already. I'm happy with them." Layla shrugs her shoulders.

"You never know. The co-"

"DON'T say the c word!" Anna warns. Layla laughs.

"Ok, ok. Calm down. Look, we're at the house." Anna looks up and sees that it was true. They had arrived at the house. Huge three story house where they could find exactly what they wanted. There had to be stuff in there for them. Anna nods.

"Let's head in," she replies. Layla nods and the two take off. A few walkers were there, but all in all, it was quite clear. They weren't really expecting it to be as clear as it was. But they weren't complaining. Layla walks to the front door, takes out her knife, and plunges it open, sending it flying off it's hinges.

"Ok, so if it was locked, there has to be some sort of stuff in here," she states, walking to the kitchen. Anna walks upstairs and sees that there are three bedrooms. She smiles and walks into one. And was interrupted by a bunch of walkers at the door. She growls in frustration and takes her knife, stabbing the three walkers as quick as possible.

When they were all down on the ground, she looks around the room and sees that it had been a little girls room. Very pink. Toys strewn everywhere. She chuckles. The little girl who must have stayed there was a bit of mess.

She walks in and grabs a few for Ethan and for Scarlett. No matter how old she was getting, she still liked to give her some stuffed animals every once and a while. But the smell of something ratchet stunk the air, and she automatically dropped one of them on the ground to cover her nose.

She gets up and walks over to where the smell was coming from. It was in the closet. Reaching slowly, she grabs the knob and opens the door, and is met with hands reaching out to grab her. It was a walker. But this walker had been a little girl. She was in a barely pink dress that her hair was in pigtails, but her skin was rotten and blood was on her face and everywhere basically. But for some reason this hit Anna hard.

She looks to the three walkers she killed and realized something. This had been a family. This had been a family of four. The little girl must have gotten bit, hung herself, and the family couldn't take it and killed themselves as well. They had all gone out together. But she realized this could happen to her family.

No matter how hard she tried to protect them, she always felt she would run out of time and one day her children or eve Daryl would get bit. She really did not want that to happen, but in her mind, she always knew that most people always ran out of time.

It was inevitable.

And she would face her maker too unless someone, somewhere, was making a cure for this shit. She highly doubted it though. She backs up from the walker a bit more and decides to leave it there. She knew if she did this she would just break down. She would leave this to some other person.

She walks out and goes to the third floor, and is only met by one door. She furrows her brow and steps inside, opening the door. Then smiles when she sees that it is filled with food.

"Jesus!" she yells. "Layla, get your ass up here!" she screams. She hears footsteps and a moment later, she was beside her. Layla's jaw seemed to fall to the ground.

"Holy shit," she whispers. Anna laughs.

"The shit is holy indeed! Let's get the goods!" They both pillage the whole entire closet, grabbing any sort of food they could get their hands on. Anything. And nothing seemed to be perishable. The food was all safe and wasn't expired or anything like that. Anna smiles. "We got everything?" Layla nods, racing down the stairs.

"Yeah," she yells. Anna chuckles.

"Why are you racing out?" she asks. Layla shrugs her shoulders quickly.

"I just have a bad feeling about this place for some reason." Anna looks at her curiously before shrugging her shoulders as well and following her to the front door. When Layla opens the door, they are surprised by who knows how many walkers there. Anna leans against the door for a moment as does Layla. "SHIT!" Layla screams.

"Wait," Anna yells, grabbing the small side table to her right. She places it in front of the door and goes forward slightly and grabs a chair from the side, placing it in front. "Layla, you get out of here. I'll meet you in the back." Layla looks at her worriedly. "Just go, Layla!" LAyla stays for a moment and then takes off.

The door automatically become harder to hold, and she tries with all her strength to grab another chair and put it in front to stop the walkers from coming in. When she was sure she could now move freely, she runs to the living room and grabs the heaviest chair she could get and pulls it over with all her strength. She sees the walkers arms in the small slot that was still there, trying to move the furniture in front. But she quickly places the heavy arm chair-at least she thought that's what it was-in front of the crack and pushes it back against the crack, finally closing the door and keeping the walkers out, from the chair being so heavy.

She had no clue where she mustered up the strength to do that.

Man was she special.

She chuckles and gets up from the floor and goes to where Layla was. She goes to the back door and smiles. "Taken care of-" She stops when she sees Layla being held and dragged into a car. "LAYLA!" she yells. One of the people look up and then climb into the car. After that, it drives away.

She stops in her tracks. She may be fast, but she wasn't that fast. She wasn't Forrest Gump fast and never would be. Layla was taken from her. She had been kidnapped.

"Shit," she mutters under her breath. Were these the same people who wanted to kill Scarlet and eat her? "Fuck," she suddenly said, knowing that it was. "How am I going to find her?" she says angrily to herself.

She needed to get back to camp.

* * *

**Wow, I was actually expecting less XD So I kind of went in a little bit of the direction of last night episode without all the romance and all that, when it's really Gal Pals time. Oh, I got some stuff up my sleeve for all of you! It's gonna be so much fun! Hope you enjoyed and review! Feedback is always nice! Thanks for reading!**


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